(NEW YORK) Rag & Bone
Waiting outside in the cold outside a show is not an ideal situation for the fashion flock, but for Rag & Bone, a few sacrifices need to be made. Once entry was granted, there was a prize for all that waited: branded baggies of mini donuts and a spiked cider. Clearly the latter was the winner for this camp. With their snacks in hand, the audience settled down for the show, which was a menagerie of splattered prints, workman jackets, and a sense of practicality. Thermals were layered underneath buffalo checked skirts, ribbed sweaters peeked out of a crepe jacket, and hobo handbags were roomy enough to contain the basics, and then some. This collection was a nod to the working woman, whether she sits behind a desk in her pinstripes, mops the floors in her personalized jacket or tends to the farm and her animals in Fair Isle sweaters. Maybe just a hint from Marcus Wainwright and David Neville that they like their woman to work hard for their closet stuffed with clothes.
Nicole Miller
At the intersection of an anime character, a Japanese samurai warrior, a transformer and The Terminator lays Nicole Miller’s Fall collection. Sounds frightening? It’s not, especially when imagined in Miller’s signature dark color palette, with faithful hits of burgundy, burnt sienna, navy blue, gold shimmers, and of course, black. The smash hits this time around included vests of all kinds: patterned, fur, and leather. Her strong girl isn’t afraid to show it this time around from her black heeled booties to a smattering of studs, also shown in the dark eye makeup and a messy braided ‘do. So let’s all take some advice from this runway. We can wear leather leggings, show a little skin, layer with peacock feathers and be tough chicks.
Rebecca Minkoff
Who likes to borrow from the boys? Rebecca Minkoff! Her silhouettes may have been taken from the opposite sex, but they were girly in every other way possible. Like a pale pink silk dress with drapes and pleats placed underneath an oversized cream Crombie and a pinstripe button down paired with a sheer and sexy skirt. While some revelers may have been drawn in by the accessories (over-the-knee boots, doubled up purses, chic waist bags), others were transfixed by the Brit duo AlunaGeorge who provided live music. Other things to note? Lamé pants and shirts shown together, a hair calf sweatshirt, and a baggy crepe dress. To be frank, there was nothing to not like about the collection.
Helmut Lang
The air was filled with smoke before the first look hit the runway, perhaps alluding to the fact that this collection would be fiery red hot. While most of the color combos remained in the safe space of white, black, and taupe, there was an orangey red that adorned shoes by LD Tuttle for Helmut Lang and select pieces throughout the collection. Then there were the popcorn sweaters that are sure to become both editorial darlings and absolute retail hits. Hints of mohair made surprise appearances as well, peeking out of a jacket sleeve and composing a skirt. The husband and wife designers Nicole and Michael Colovos even tried their hand at patterns for Fall, but we’ll stick to the simple minimalist looks that dominated.
